Using Nature instead of Pesticides

The use of chemicals to get rid of bugs is sometimes a necessary evil, particularly when they invade your home or appear near food preparation areas. Insects in your home are a nuisance and the sooner you rid the problem, before infestation becomes out of control, the easier to terminate them with fewer applications.  But when it comes to dealing with the garden and lawn, is using a pesticide considered overkill?

Using pesticides on food sources or in garden areas can cause concern especially if you prove allergic to the pesticides or it increases food allergies.  The easiest solution to getting rid of critters that ravage your flowers or vegetation is to use nature, or beneficial insects.

Beneficial Insects: Ladybird Beetle (Ladybugs) and the Wasp

Beneficial insects are insects that help gardeners kill some of the worst vegetation assailants alive: the aphid and caterpillars.  Aphids are also known as plant lice which suck the sap out of plants.  More specifically, they feed on over fertilized vegetation. Two of the best known beneficial insects are ladybugs and wasps, because they prey on aphids and caterpillars.

Ladybugs, also known as Ladybird Beetles, rid these types of pests by laying eggs near them so that their larvae devour the aphids.  The good news is that it’s easy to order ladybugs through the mail. Once they arrive, make sure to follow the specific instructions for how and when to release them for optimal results.

Wasps are beneficial because they prey on these pests as well. They also bring the groceries to their own nests, such as caterpillars and leaf beetles, so that their larvae can feed and grow. So if you’ve ever discovered a wasp nest near your garden and got rid of them, you probably noticed your garden leaves developing holes from the pests the wasps left behind.

Unfortunately, getting rid of wasps can be a painful experience, so using them as a replacement for a pesticide may not be ideal, especially if you’re allergic to their stings.  Also, wasps and ladybugs don’t hang out nicely together because wasps are driven away by the smelly feet of ladybugs. Wasps tend to parasitically lay eggs in aphids, which is how they kill them, and the ladybug will eat the aphids with wasps’ eggs still inside. So in order to avoid this, wasps will leave when the pretty ladybug shows up with her smelly feet.

If you’re not sure what to do to create a healthier garden, then contact your Preventive Pest Control Houston for help. They can also help with lawn and weed control issues as well as getting rid of these nasty pests.